A jersey worn by NHL legend Bobby Orr during the 1970-71 season sold for $209,455 at Classic Auctions late Tuesday night.
The black and gold sweater bearing Orr’s famous number 4 dated to a year in which he won both the Hart and Norris trophies.
The jersey was the top selling item in the auction, which netted just over $2 million in sales.
A jersey worn by Connor McDavid in the third period of the first home game of his career back in 2015 sold for $69,769 while a signed McDavid gamer dating to the 2015 OHL Western Conference Finals when he suited up for the Erie Otters went for $27,970. A pair of Wayne Gretzky’s gloves worn during his tenure with the L.A. Kings netted $19, 704.
The auction also included both current and vintage cards. A 2005-06 McDavid The Cup Rookie Patch Autograph card graded 9 by BGS and numbered 96/99 led the way at $44,427.
Collectors also chased some rare vintage unopened boxes with a 1970-71 Topps Hockey box of 24 packs selling for $33,094 and a ’71-72 box landing at $11,595.
For the last three years, Peter Arapis has been working to renovate an old building in Nova Scotia and turn it into a sports card shop. This week, he’s been dealing with a setback thanks to a thief.
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, his security system alerted him to a possible break-in. Arapis just missed the burglar, who made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, including a box of Upper Deck The Cup.
He’s upset about having to repair the door that was smashed and the loss of product, but he’s more concerned with why someone felt the need to steal from him.
“I’m wondering what has happened in this stage of his life that he had to do that,” Arapis told the Cape Breton Post, which has security photos of the crime and additional details.
At least four items in Goldin Auctions’ current catalog will sell for over $1 million.
With more than a week left in bidding, a 1996-97 Topps Chrome BGS 10 Kobe Bryant Rookie Refractor has already reached seven figures.
Not far behind are a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8 (current high bid $950,000), a 2003-04 Exquisite LeBron James RPA ($900,000) and a ’04-95 Ultimate Signatures 1/1 LeBron Logoman ($900,000).
Factor in the buyer’s premium and all will be million dollar cards even if no other bids are made.
“It has been incredible to see the soaring interest in the hobby,” says company founder Ken Goldin. “We expect that this will break the record for the highest-grossing sports memorabilia auction of all time when it concludes.”
Last month, the company shattered the industry record for the largest sports collectibles auction ever, completing $33 million in sales for over 1,000 items.
Over 2,200 lots are on the block this time.
Jerseys worn by the Lakers in their 2020-21 season opener are on the block through NBA Auctions.
In all, 14 jerseys are up for grabs with LeBron James’ gold #23 already over $55,000.
